Like a tsunami, fear can wash away our life… unless we rise up I believe fear can come in many forms… and sometimes it comes in the forms of “bad thoughts” or nightmares. We don’t always know we are afraid of something until it invades our thoughts. How many times have we wanted to do […]
"So as that summer began, while America counted hostage days and Beth learned to swim, I thought up good lies to tell and climbed trees and lay a lot in the shade." (egalley pg 11-12)
11 year old Annie and little brother Rew live at the edge of the Zebra forest with their Gran. They keep mostly to themselves, on account of the house and on account of Gran, but Annie and Rew have each other, a battered copy of Treasure Island, the joy of making up bad jokes, and the many trees of the Zebra forest to keep them company on the hot, steamy summer days.
They are getting along in typical fashion when one summer night, a man rattles the back door and steps into the kitchen. Before Annie can process what is even happening, the man takes the key they always keep in the knob, drops it in his pocket and tells Annie to stay quiet. As Annie stands dumbfounded, Rew heads for the phone and then the door, but the man is quick and powerful. He is also covered in mud, and his clothes are torn. He has come through the forest. On the other side of the Zebra forest is the prison.
Now they must wait. Gran completely shuts down, and Annie and Rew must figure out how to be in the house with the doors shut and the windows closed, with the precarious piles and dirty dishes, with the man always there, always watching. There will be no more going into the trees to read Treasure Island, no more trips out into the shade.
Adina Rishe Gewirtz has crafted a novel that gives an inside look into mental illness and family. There is an incredible resilience to both Annie and Rew that shines through even though the two deal with their situation in vastly different ways. The importance of story (both family and books) is felt throughout. Even though some major points like the Iran Hostage Crisis and the plot of Treasure Island may be unfamiliar to today's readers, Gewirtz does a fine job of weaving them into the greater plot -- using them to give a sense of ticking time as well as examination into real life characters. This is a book that may not be for everyone, but will definitely find fierce love with the readers who love imperfect characters, finding connections, and those who don't mind feeling a bit off kilter.
Publishing April 9, 2013.
By Christiana Bratiotis
Sharon is a 53-year-old white woman who is unmarried and lives alone in a multi-family home in a northeastern suburb. Sharon recently lost her job due to her multiple mental and physical health disabilities. Because of her job loss, Sharon is unable to afford her rent. She is now 3 months in the rears and her landlord is demanding payment. He recently stopped by to talk with Sharon. She was home but did not answer the door.
I’ve been writing quite a bit lately about our upcoming trip around the country. Nevertheless, there are a few other things on my mind, too.
Take excess, for example. A thought struck like lightning through my mind yesterday morning and I’ve not been able to shake it.
Why do Americans feel the need to acquire excess amounts of everything? Do they believe that the world will run out of everything they’ve ever seen or wanted tomorrow? You see now why I said “like lightning.”
I was in the shower at the time. (I know, but that’s where the most profound thinking takes place, isn’t it?) I was facing the shower caddy, looking at all the shampoos, conditioners, body washes, etc. that wait each day for our consumption. A bit of everything resides on those small hanging shelves. I suddenly realized how much of everything necessary for bathing kept company in and around the bathtub. Packing for this long trip has me considering life in different aspects now.
It’s not like I’d never seen it all before, but I hadn’t really took note of it before. Big difference.
Lack of free space in our car restricts the amount of everything we take along for the ride. I was reminded of a friend of mine from years ago. This wee gal was an absolute hoot, and I loved her dearly, but she had one trait that I could never understand. She adored vintage clothing. It didn’t matter what era of clothing she found; it came home with her.
At the time we lived in an area that had lots of second-hand clothing and household shops. Once a month two of them held $2 bag sales. For those who’ve never been to one, you’ve missed a wonderful opportunity to go decadent without breaking the bank. The premise is that whatever you can get into a standard paper grocery bag is yours to take home for $2.
I can testify to her enjoyment of such sales. She lived in a large two-bedroom apartment at the time. The huge second bedroom was her clothes closet. Rack upon rack of clothes filled the room to overflowing. The gal wore about a size 4/6 at most. The room, which measured a good 15 x 15 ft. was so full of racks that she could barely squeeze into it far enough to find something to wear.
I asked her once why she just kept buying more clothes. She said that they were all so pretty, she just couldn’t pass them up.
The truth is, I still can’t understand it. She never wore the same outfit more than once. She didn’t need to. Yet, she never got rid of anything either.
It’s been years since I’ve seen her. We lost touch when she found amore. I think of her, though, and wonder if she’ll soon be featured on “Buried Alive,” the show on hoarding.
Does anyone else think we’ve gone a bit overboard in our acquisition mode mentalities? When an entire room meant for living in is used to store one’s clothing, doesn’t that strike anyone else as a bit overboard?
When I have a moment, I watch TV shows like “House Hunters International” and other home finding shows, whether for rent or to buy. It’s curious that a room’s size is such an issue for people. How much space does a person or family really need to live? Why must a house have walk-in closets? And on and on…
It seems like we’ve gone a bit crazy in the acquisition department, whether due to personal feelings of inadequacy or social status. It makes me wonder if we will ever come to realize as a nation, that what a person does with his/her life and how that life is lived means far more to the world at large and to themselves than what one can buy, wear, own, show-off, or what have you.
Why must we continue to build over all the land with homes that fewer and fewer people can afford and then turn around and complain that we’ve destroyed the ecology, the beauty of the land, etc? Does this make sense to anyone else?
Tell me your take on this part of the American lifestyle. Let me know what you think the rationale really is for our compulsion
Beautiful and spiritually inspiring,
Gifts from God is a tribute to God and all the things that are pure in our lives--the innocence and laughter of our children, the tenderness of a newborn, the magnificence of a sunset, the 'laughter' of a waterfall. With a few simple lines, some taken from the Bible, some from her imagination, author Cynthia Reeg has created a lovely book for the entire family, one to be read not only at bedtime, but at any hour of the day. The photographs and imagery are, in one word, captivating. This is a must children's book for your Christian fiction bookshelf.
Gifts from God
By Cynthia Reeg
Illustrations by Mary Sue Roberts
eBook ISBN 13: 978-1-933090-34-4
Print ISBN: 978-1-933090-33-7
Copyright 2007
Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/In Kitty Kerplunking: Preposition Fun, Reeg teaches children, in a light and fun way, the uses of prepositions. How does she do this? With the help of one very cute Kitty and his antics about the house.
Each page features an engaging, colorful illustration and a sentence showing a preposition.
For instance...
"Preppy the kitty … pitter-pattered ON the piano keys."
Each time the preposition in the sentence is capitalized. At the end of the book there's a useful study guide as well as six pages of activities, including a criss-cross puzzle, word search, seek & find, and fill-in-the-blanks. This is the perfect book to introduce young children to prepositions.
Kitty Kerplunking:
Preposition Fun
by Cynthia Reeg
Illustrations by Marina Movshina
ISBN: 1-933090-27-8
978-1-933090-27-6
January 2006
Guardian Angel Publishing
You may also want to visit this author's website at: http://www.cynthiareeg.com/
Did you always want to be a writer?Yes. Nearly as quickly as I learned to read and write, I began creating. I wrote stories and poems in elementary school. A few won local prizes or were published in local newspapers. I enjoyed the acclaim, but mostly I wrote because I enjoyed writing so much--taking a blank page and making it come to life with words. In high school, college, and beyond, I continued taking classes to improve my writing skills. After years working as a librarian, I decided I wanted to write full time.
Tell us about your children's books.Currently, I have two children's picture books available through
Guardian Angel Publishing:
GIFTS FROM GOD and
KITTY KERPLUNKING: PREPOSITION FUN.
GIFTS FROM GOD is a celebration of 12 simple but profound heavenly gifts. The book combines beginning reader sentences and Bible verses with breathtaking photo art. GIFTS FROM GOD is an inspiring read for young and old.
In KITTY KERPLUNKING, prepositions kerplunk all around Preppy the kitty in this beautifully illustrated picture book. Preppy's amusing antics provide young readers a fun introduction to prepositions. A study guide and six activity pages are also included.
Describe your working environment.I am very fortunate to have a lovely wood-paneled office with bookshelves overflowing with books and mementoes to work in. I have a big desk which is usually rather cluttered looking, but when I do tidy it up, I often can't find where I've put things. :-) I know a librarian should be a better organizer.
But I do have many alphabetized drawers of files with clippings, and information, and all my writings. In fact, my files are also overflowing. I guess I am an information junky. But I recently received a new computer for my birthday, so at least I have tons of space on it to fill up. I have a nice view ofthe world through my office window--trees and grass and flowers (from spring through fall) and a busy street with vehicles zooming by to remind me that life goes fast so my fingers should be flying on the keyboard, completing another new story.
I also have my office crew--my two cats, Herman and Henry; and my dog, Holly. They usually assist me throughout the day. The cats nap on top of my printer or almost on top of my laptop as I type. And Holly meditates on my lap or closeby. They always enjoy hearing first readings of works in progress and offer no end of revision suggestions. And they encourage me to expand my workspace environment to help keep my ideas fresh--which means we often work on the sunny, comfy loveseat in my bedroom where they all can nap (I mean work)in even greater ease.
Are you a disciplined writer?Yes. This is my job now, so I to to work everyday. I try to have at least 3 days of the week in which I work a "regular" work day--9 to 5 from my home office. Then my other two weekdays, I work at volunteer and other projects related to my writing--tutoring, Bible study, school visits. And often I do some work on weekends as well. I'm always reading--which is part of my work.
What is your working style?
I like to take care of emails and other must do commitments first thing in the morning. I don't enjoy the business work of writing--researching the market, creating cover & query letters, mailing lists and promotional business stuff. So often I'll set aside a day just to do that boring work. Then on my other days, I can devote my brain cells strictly to my writing. My creative right brain doesn't like to be tied down on those business-oriented left brain days. :-)
Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your works?
Yes and Yes! I have a fun and informitive website--so I've been told--for kids, parents and teachers, and writers, too. I'm always updating it with new activities, book lists, writing information and more. It's at
http://cynthiareeg.com/. Under the WHAT'S NEW section, you'll find my blog--which currently has a "Where in the World Am I" picture and clue puzzle going on to see if my readers can figure out where I've been on my last holiday.
What are you working on now?
Right now, I'm revising a realistic contemporary novel titled, PROMISES KEPT. In this story Berty and her father, Curtis, an auto mechanic, live in a rural community about an hour west of St. Louis. Her mom, May, moved to St. Louis less than a year ago after the divorce to pursue her fashion design dreams. Berty remains torn between her commitment to stay with her father and her guilt for her lonely mom, whose interests she doesn’t share.
Berty’s best friend is her neighbor, Randall, an African-American boy abandoned by his teen mother. He lives with his stoic grandmother, Gran Millcee. When Randall, the Trash King, an avid collector of odd items, begrudgingly gives Berty one of his finds, she promises to discover its origin as a means of paying Randall back. When their new widowed teacher, Mrs. Evans, leads their fifth grade class on a study of Missouri’s own famous son, George Washington Carver, Berty soon learns of his ties to Randall’s family.
In this story where many promises are made, it’s Berty’s dad who reminds her that, “Promises are easy to make, Berty. It’s the keeping them that’s hard." As Berty learns about her dad’s hidden addiction, her mom’s driving passion for design, Gran Millcee’s deteriorating health, Randall’s run-away mom, and her new teacher’s sad past, Berty unravels the mystery of Randall's trashed treasure and comes to understand the importance of promises--even though they can’t always be kept.
Plus, I've just finished the final editing of my short story, "The Emily Explosion," which is soon to be published in the anthology, THE GIRLS, from Blooming Tree Press.
And another short story of mine, "BF's and Butterflies," will be in the April 2008 edition of STORIES FOR CHILDREN online magazine. It's always exciting to finally see the stories in print and receive such wonderful reactions from the readers. :-)
What is the best advice on writing you've ever received?From Larry Brossler, the Editorial Director at Boyds Mills Press, at a writing conference when he said, "Believe!" Believe in your writing and make it happen--no matter the difficulties you face along the way. That's my motto and I'm sticking to it
By: Lauren,
on 8/23/2011
By: Claudette Young,
on 12/8/2010
By: Mayra Calvani,
on 2/8/2008
Did you always want to be a writer?
Thanks Donna and Casey. Fear can paralyze. When I feel it rising within me, I have learned to say, “Fear, I will not let you steal my joy!” I just realized that I refer to theft, just like in the example Casey chose. Wow! How about that?
Hi Linda! I feel the same way you do… fear is a thief of joy. So glad you have found a great way to combat it!
This was a wonderful blog, Donna. Thoughtful and very timely for me. Thanks so much.
Thanks for this reminder about what fear can do to rob us of life. And John 10:10 is what the Lord gave me when I found out I was having twins and was momentarily inundated with all sorts of fears!
Thank YOU for your encouragement, too, my friend.
Exactly! I have have been reminded of this verse so many times!